A Little Less Conservation (JXL
remix)

Elvis first recorded this Mac Davis/Billy Strange composition on
March 7, 1968 for the film "Live a Little, Love a Little". On that session for
this and three other songs for the film, Billy Strange served as musical
director and producer and Charles Britz was engineer. On guitar were Joseph
Gibbons, Neil Levang, Charles Britz and Alvin Casey. On bass were Larry
Knechtal and Charles Berghofer. On drums were Hal Blaine and Gary Coleman. On
piano was Don Randi. Backing vocalists were B.J. Baker, Sally Stevens, Bob
Tebow and John Bahler. Strings and horns were added later.

"A Little Less Conversation" was released as the B-side of the single "Almost in
Love", another song from the film. In the fall of 1968 "Almost in Love" peaked
at #95 in a 2-week run on the Billboard pop singles chart and "A Little Less
Conversation" peaked at #69 in a 4-week run. Earlier, in June of that year,
Elvis had taped his 1968 TV special, which would air in December. Apparently in
anticipation of the fall single release, there was a plan to include "A Little
Less Conversation" in the show, to be heard as a pre-recorded musical segue from
segment to segment and/or possibly in one of the lip-synched production number
medleys. To the original recording Elvis laid down a new lead vocal track in a
session on June 23 (possibly June 24), 1968. Also considered was having Elvis
perform the song in one of the live concert parts of the show. Ultimately, the
song was not used in the show at all. The new recording was shelved (eventually
released in a 68 Special compilatio!
n CD in 1998) and Elvis did not perform the song in the show taping - neither
the live concert nor in the lip-synched production number segments. End of
story? No.

In 2002 RCA/BMG and Elvis Presley Enterprises granted a license to Nike to use
an Elvis recording in its televised World Cup Soccer related promotions in
Europe and elsewhere. "A Little Less Conversation" was their choice of song and
the alternate version Elvis recorded in June 1968 was used. For the commercial
Dutch producer/dee-jay JXL was engaged to produce a remix, the first Elvis remix
ever authorized by the record company and EPE. The Nike promos started airing
and the ALLC remix caught fire. A single release had not been planned, but
public demand prompted RCA/BMG to rush-release a single in June 2002. It topped
singles airplay and sales charts in the U.K. and other territories and topped
Billboard's singles sales chart in the U.S. It broke Elvis' long-standing tie
with The Beatles for most #1s on the UK pop singles chart. The release of ELV1S
30 #1 HITS was already in the works with the thirty selections culled from
Elvis' many #1s in the US and UK already fina!
lized. But, the surprise smash hit of the unplanned ALLC remix release prompted
RCA/BMG to include it as a bonus track.